Page 25 of Cold Foot Komodo

“Did you know that shifters can sense lies?” she asked, and damn Timber’s stupid grin. “Plus your cheeks are bright red right now.”

“Shut up, Timber.”

“Like the shade of a cherry. Your ears are getting red, too.”

“Timber!”

A knock sounded on the door, and Sasha startled hard.

Timber frowned and log-rolled off the bed, then padded over to open the door. It wouldn’t be Wreck. He was talking to his mom outside, but he wouldn’t knock on his own door.

Timber was blocking whoever it was, and no matter how much Sasha craned her neck to look around her, she couldn’t see who was talking low to her sister.

“Oh Sashaaaa,” Timber sang. “It’s for youuuu.” She opened the door wider, and Sasha could tell exactly who it was by the dumb smile on Timber’s lips.

Reed nodded a greeting. “Can we talk real quick?”

Sasha had frozen like a little ice sculpture depicting mortification. She was wearing blue-and-white flannel pajama pants that were a size too big, and a tank top that was a size too small. She cast a quick glance at the robe Timber had gifted her, that lay draped across the dining table.

“Won’t take long,” he said.

“You can come in!” Timber told him.

“Oh, I don’t want to bother you ladies.”

“I insist. In fact, I command it. As the mate of the Alpha.”

“Mmm, I don’t think that’s how it works, but okay,” Reed said with a small smile curving the very corners of his lips as he stomped snow from his boots on the welcome mat.

“I’ve got to go…pluck my eyebrows,” Timber said.

“What?” Sasha asked.

“I have to get a drink of water,” she said, backing toward the loft stairs.

“Water is in the kitchen?” Sasha pointed out, confused.

“I’ve got to make my bed.”

“It’s nighttime!” Gah, she knew what Timber was doing. She was trying to give her and Reed alone time, but she was being so damn awkward about it.

“Is she on crack?” Reed guessed, and a laugh escaped Sasha.

“I heard that!” Timber called from above them in the loft. “I’ll be doing the crack for at least ten minutes!”

Reed called back, “I don’t think people say it like that. ‘The crack’.”

Sasha didn’t even try to hide her smile. Reed was quiet, sure, but he was funny. Currently, he was taking a seat on the bench by the door. She thought he would unlace his boots and kick them off so he could come in all the way, but he seemed content to stay there.

“Long day,” he started.

“Tell me about it. I feel like I’ve been awake for three days. Travel days kick my butt.”

“You wouldn’t know you spent the morning driving or getting all that stuff done with the house. You seemed…” He let the words fade off as he watched her.

“Seemed what?”

He cleared his throat and averted his gaze to the fire in the fireplace. “You seemed happy and energetic tonight. Not dragging at all. I can sense that kind of stuff. Sometimes it’s heavy, but with you, I think you’re a person who stays up. An optimistic one.”

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